Raincheck for Charleston
Posted on June 6th, 2016
Sometimes life is a little tiny bit unexpected. Like when you plan to have your bachelorette party in Charleston, a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but you suddenly find yourself heading straight into the center of an unseasonable tropical storm.
We had plans for lounging by the pool at our gorgeous pink hotel, riding beach cruisers on coastal paths, and watching for dolphins on an afternoon booze cruise. But this particular visit to Charleston brought different plans. Tons of shopping (Moon & Lola, Candlefish, Julep, and Palm Avenue were particular favorites). And eating (Husk, Darling Oyster Bar, Jeni’s, Peace Pie…). The rain even paused on Sunday evening, allowing for drinks at Stars. I loved my rainy Memorial Day run around the perimeter of Charleston, ogling dreamy houses as I went by.
We didn’t get sunshine (well, we did get 35 minutes. My bridesmaid Julia timed it). What we got in Charleston was time to slow down and do nothing together. Getting to spend three days with your best friends is truly an incredible gift.
And Charleston, I definitely didn’t get enough of you. I’ll be back soon.
Totally Darling
Posted on May 31st, 2016
I have a restaurant crush. So much about my bachelorette weekend in Charleston was fabulous, but Sunday night’s dinner at The Darling Oyster Bar could not have been more on point.
The aesthetic is coastal but infused with sophistication that makes it far from kitschy. Their happy hour went until 7pm, so with our respectable 6:30 reservation we slurped down a dozen oysters and some drinks for a great price. You know A Cultured Pearl loves dollar oysters!
I think having cocktails on draft is so fun– it gives dinner a festive group party vibe, especially in those mugs. For research purposes, we also ordered pretty much everything. Shrimp & grits, flounder sandwich, fry basket… all totally delicious! Fantastic service, as well– thanks, Megan!– as we were seated immediately, drinks came promptly, and the meal had a great flow.
In case you’re doubting my affections, I bought the Darling t-shirt. I haven’t bought a t-shirt since Zeta Tau Alpha recruitment in 2014. This is major. Darling, you’re darling. I’ll be back!
Post-Presidential Pad
Posted on May 26th, 2016
I love creeping inside people’s homes to “get inspiration” that will surely all be out of style by the time I can afford a similar place of my own. And when it’s a president’s post-White House digs? Even better. I saw the segment this morning on the home the Obamas have rented to move to next January at the gym on the Today show, and it left me breathless. And not just because I was on the treadmill. Simply gorgeous.
There are nine bedrooms, so luckily Malia won’t have to sleep on a futon during her gap year. They’re “just renting” as they wait for Sasha to finish high school in DC. I am also “just renting,” and it sure doesn’t look like this.
Follow Friday
Posted on May 20th, 2016
Ian is out of town and I’m gearing up for a pretty boring weekend (work! studying for work! grocery shopping!), so I thought I’d kick you over to some social media socialites who will keep you entertained and inspired as you’re perusing Instagram while waiting after you put your name in for brunch tomorrow. (Why don’t more of the best places take reservations?? I love planning ahead for a reason!)
Town & Country Magazine (@townandcountrymag)– A pretty good variety of subjects and images… and by “variety,” I mean while still staying within the narrow bounds of my aesthetic.
Kate the Wasp (@katethewasp)– A satire account run by a woman who went to Vanderbilt (Go Dores!) that sometimes hits a liiiiittle too close to home. Sometimes it’s good to check yourself, you know?
Front Door Project (@thefrontdoorproject)– Deb chronicles gorgeous and charming front door vignettes with history, and mostly with a New England vibe.
Ashley Fine (@onefinea)– I love her blog, so naturally I love following her day-to-day small town Texas escapades. Sometimes, I feel like I know more about Swell Rio than I do about Seattle. Also, Max is adorable.
Evelyn Henson (@evelyn_henson)– Easy breezy colorful eye candy! The animated illustrations she releases are the best.
Emily Ley (@emilyley)– The founder of Simplified Planner, I appreciate the realness Emily brings while juggling small business owner and mama to three little ones. If anyone can have it all, I believe Emily can!
How He Asked (@howheasked)– For all you other softies and romantics, please join me in crying over the proposals of people you will never meet. Submit your own story if you’d like, but if you’re not re-gaining movement in your legs after a spinal injury so you can walk down the aisle, you probably won’t get selected.
New York Times Vows (@nytvows)– …and a less sappy view of marriage. A parody account of the prestigious NYT marriage announcements. You may feel inspired to play Matrimonial Moneyball with your own marriage just to see how you score.
Grace Patton (@camp_patton)– Parenting may not always be glamorous, but with Grace, it’s always funny. My favorite was a recent caption accompanying a picture of her youngest daughter in front of a messy bathroom: “When I asked her who smeared the toothpaste (in her hand) all over the mirror she didn’t think twice before answering, ‘Jesus’ #raisingsaints”
…and if you want, you can follow me, too! @giftrapp
Wedding Wednesday: 100 Days
Posted on May 18th, 2016
I wasn’t going to be That Bride who gets That Phone Case. But then I saw the name, and it seemed meant to be. Speaking of meant to be… The Nightingale Nuptials are in 100 days. And I have lots to say about every single design element of the fun parties we’ll be throwing to celebrate in late August. But it seemed important to take a step back and do something a little different today. Humor me?
Dear Ian,
In 100 days, I will become your wife. In terms of our wedding, we have a lot to do. This is crunch time. For the next 100 days, I will be talking your ear off about linen selections and readings and dessert tables and favors and welcome baskets. I will text you at work, which I know you hate. In the evenings, you will have to lick several hundred envelopes. You will be measured and remeasured for your tuxedo alterations. You will have to write vows to read in front of our friends and family. It’s all a little stressful, we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off, and we kind of have no idea what we’re doing.
But when it comes to our marriage, I have never felt so singularly calm and assured. Every day, you show me just what a wonderful partner you are and will continue to be– and you make life so much fun! You know I’m already committed to us, and our future together. And I can’t wait to say it out loud in 100 short days.
The wedding is just a big party, and the only party favor I need is a marriage with you.
And sorry in advance if I devolve into Bridezilla. Remember that it’s still me on the inside.
Love,
Helen
Autopilot to Portland
Posted on May 17th, 2016
Throughout the wedding planning process, Ian has consistently asked for only two things: a solid selection of craft beer at all wedding-related events, and a Tesla as our getaway car. The first one is easy peasy. But the second has presented a bit of a challenge. For one, you can’t exactly rent a Tesla. And I’m also not sure Ian should plan on being sober enough to safely drive a rented Tesla by the end of the night. Just being realistic over here.
Fate intervened, and I had the opportunity to semi-remedy this situation. In March, I attended a JDRF gala in Orange County, California, where they were offering an auction package that included a 24 hour Tesla test drive. I jumped on it. I just hope Ian doesn’t expect me to come through with that major of a birthday present every year.
We wanted to make the most of 24 hours with a souped-up Tesla, so a road trip was certainly in order. Seattle is close to approximately two things. One, Vancouver, requires an international border crossing. The other is Portland, Oregon. I hadn’t given Portland much thought before moving to Seattle. I had always just kind of thought it was a smaller, crunchier version of Seattle. Based on the impression I received in the 14 hours Ian and I spent there last weekend, it appears I was not far off base.
Back to the Tesla: I’m not a car person, so I didn’t have particularly high expectations. But I am somewhat of an innovative technology and engineering person, and I realized the Tesla was much more of a feat of technological breakthrough than a car. We drove to Portland and back on autopilot. It took some getting used to, but I was so impressed.
The Tesla was definitely the main event, and our Portland exploration was just a bonus. We stayed in a gorgeous suite at the Hotel Monaco right downtown– their use of wallpaper was on point, and you know I loved the navy couch with white piping.
I had hoped we’d make it to the International Rose Garden, but the weather was not cooperating. There was one thing, however, we knew we couldn’t skip: Voodoo Doughnuts.
Guys, they were right. Good things do come in pink boxes. The Ain’t That a Peach fritter and blueberry cake doughnuts were my favorites, but as you can see, we did our due diligence by trying basically all of them.
Anyway. We’re saving up for a Tesla now. You’re welcome to join us for a ride when we can afford to buy one of our very own in 2032.
Dresser Deficiency
Posted on May 16th, 2016
I want to take some time to bring attention to an important issue. It’s all around us, we see it on the internet and in magazines every day, but it is never addressed head on. I am talking, of course, about Dresser Deficiency.
The bloggers and interior designers who share inspirational images with us sleep in the most gorgeous, fluffiest beds, surrounded by bedside tables that always sport fresh flowers and hundreds of dollars of coffee table books, oversized Gray Malin prints hanging over their heads. But apparently they have no place to keep their clothes. We see fourteen photos of their end-of-bed bench, but nary a single dresser in sight. The lucky ones have large bedside tables (as shown above), but many of them only have butler trays next to their beds. Tragic. And for the record, that mirrored piece would be maybe enough to house my collection of workout tops. If I gave half of them away.
It looks like I will be moving to a new apartment in a few weeks, so I’ve become increasingly aware of this problem as I look for inspiration for our new place. The Style Me Pretty Living bedroom Pinterest board, for example, has about 1,000 pins, approximately 1% of which feature any substantive clothing storage options.
So I dug deep to find a few dressers done right. This was much, much harder than it sounds.
I have continued to be pleasantly surprised by my Ikea dresser— while it isn’t the perfect size for our new bedroom layout, nothing competes with the price + storage capacity! Once it is set up in our new place, I’ll be sure to show you how it looks, if for no other reason than to prove that I have a place to keep my clothes.
Please keep these storage-deprived bloggers and designers in your thoughts and prayers.
Recent Recipes
Posted on May 12th, 2016
We are so close to the start of my three-month fresh produce spree, but before I make watermelon and cherry tomatoes my primary food groups, I wanted to share a round up of some of the real recipes I’ve made recently.
Skinny Chicken Tikka– We got the real Indian restaurant experience by having a ratio that was way too much sauce and way not enough chicken, but I froze the extra sauce and it was delicious when I thawed it and made more chicken. Definitely recommend!
Sweet Potato Egg Breakfast Boats– Disclosure: I messed this one up and overcooked the eggs. But I can tell it would be delicious with proper execution 😉
Pickle Brined Chicken Tenders– Apparently pickle juice is the secret to Chick-fil-a chicken, and this did not let me down. But the baked preparation makes this weeknight appropriate. The marinade takes approximately 20 seconds to put together before you head to work in the morning, and then you’re set for a delicious dinner. Leftovers were delicious on my salad the next day!
Roasted Broccoli and Quinoa Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing– I beefed this up to serve as a main course with a little feta and chopped pecans and it’s AMAZING. I can’t wait to make this one again. Best recipe on the list! And it’s essentially made entirely of superfoods.
Frittata– The new quiche. And will be an excellent vehicle for my amazing summer produce binges.
And last, and definitely also least…
Light Chicken Enchilada Pie– Weird. Nope. But still froze the leftovers and will force Ian to eat it for dinner in a few weeks. He’s so lucky to have me.
Have you made anything recently I should try??
Wedding Wednesday: In Print
Posted on May 11th, 2016
Get your Pinterest boards ready for this one!
In case you can’t tell… I am not shy when it comes to print and color. Ian seems to have caught that bug from me and then some– he heavily favors Vineyard Vines pastels. We wanted to make our wedding match that part of our taste preferences, but maintaining a traditional, formal look was equally important. It’s definitely a balance! We’re steering clear of crazy colors, but prints will definitely make an appearance. Nico & Lala have designed two awesome and complementary ones for us that we can’t wait to use (see this post if you need a refresher). Specifics TBD, but I’m definitely drawing inspiration from some of these images:
I find that last tent particularly breathtaking– I love imagining how it looks three hours later when the sun has set, candles are twinkling, and it’s full of men and women dressed to the nines and toasting a couple on the happiest day of their life with coupes of champagne. Anyone want to join me for this imaginary night? And would it be too much if I wore this dress to match the theme?
The New Long Distance
Posted on May 9th, 2016
It’s easy to reach me through email and by leaving a comment here, but many people also choose to reach out via my Tumblr. This morning I received a question that actually ties in well to something that has recently been on my mind anyway, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to expand further.
Our anonymous friend writes, “Hi Helen! I’m about to move across the country for a new job, and most of my closest friends and family will be a plane ride away. Do you have any tips or a system for keeping in touch with and maintaining relationships with far-off people? Thank you!”
Sound familiar? If experience is the best teacher, then I’ve been in an independent study crash course for the past year. Last May, I was in a long distance relationship with my now-fiance, and had been for five years. It is 1,000 times worth it that Ian and I are together in Seattle, but I now find myself in a long distance relationship with everyone else.
But when it comes to your tribe, you find ways to make it work. Here are some of the main strategies I use to stay close to people who are thousands of miles away:
- Embrace the group text. Starting out with what is perhaps the most obvious, but what I think has made the biggest difference. Two of my girlfriends and I started a group text when we went to college and we have talked all day, every day ever since. My family also has a group text called “The 6 Pals” because we’re corny like that. In general people are good about reaching out to share major milestones, but having an established text thread or GroupMe gives you an easy forum to share your thoughts on current events, how good your coffee tastes… you know, the important everyday stuff!
- Schedule walks. When I lived at home, my mom and I would go on a 3 mile walk together almost every day. It was an easy way to something good for our bodies and minds, and certainly brought us closer together. It’s not quite as frequent now, but we haven’t had to give the habit up! I’ll put on my shoes and grab my phone and headphones, my mom will put on her shoes and grab Gracie the puppy’s leash, and we’ll each hit the pavement in our respective cities. This is a beneficial habit on so many levels! I’ve actually picked it up with several of my friends, too.
- Let them know you’re thinking of them. If you see a clickbait article or a TV commercial that makes you think of them, don’t keep it to yourself! People love knowing they’re on your mind.
- Try snail mail! A dying art, but y’all know I’m a huge fan. There’s things you share in letters and a way in which you tell stories that just don’t happen in texts or over email. And don’t forget birthdays. Send them a card, and then Venmo them for a birthday drink. If it’s a best friend, find out where they’re having their birthday dinner, and call to send a bottle of champagne to their table.
- Make a big travel budget. Hopefully since you’re moving, this is a good time for you to prioritize this in a new financial plan. I am very transparent about the premium I place on spending time with the people I love. It’s hard being so far away in Seattle, but I take a lot of weekend trips, and just in general try to be there and spending time with my people as much as possible.
As I’ve admitted before, it’s not easy and it’s not fun, but sometimes it’s a logical sacrifice. Even if your relationships with others are not what they used to be or what you might picture, if you put in the effort from afar, it will be so, so much easier to pick up right where you left off when you are together again. And that, I can be certain, is always worth the effort.
I will leave you with an adage that you might have found on your friend’s MySpace page in 2005: “Distance means so little when someone means so much.”
